The Great Rescue of Domino City
by Penname Dexter
Summary: Joey finds himself facing a future he isn't ready for. Everything is moving faster than he is and Joey feels as though he's trailing in its wake. Hopeless, he begins to backtrack through the city looking for answers, and he finally finds them in the last place he had ever expected. A story about figuring out who you are. (Joey/Kaiba) Updates Fridays.
1. Chapter 1: Talk of Tomorrow

Chapter 1: Talk of Tomorrow (When it Begins Sound Rushes in and Drowns Everything)

The success of a friend is a hard thing to accept if the condition of their success is that they will be leaving, most likely for good.

The mobile phone on Joey's bed began to ring. He had only managed to slot one leg into his jeans when he answered, having thrown himself in and out of the shower at breakneck speed. Hair still dripping, he answered the call, ramming his foot into the other leg as fast as possible.

"Hey, yeah, I'm sorry, I'm on my way, the alarm didn't go off-"

"Joey, it's me!"

"Oh, hey, Téa, how's it going?" Joey relaxed. He plopped onto the bed and rubbed his head with the towel.

"What was that about?" said Téa. "Joey, are you late for work again?"

"Yeah, but it's no big deal. I'll just get moaned at," Joey said. "What's up? You sound excited."

"Oh, yes! You won't believe it! I got the reply!"

Joey, who had been rooting in his bag for some deodorant sat up, frowning.

"You got the… You got the reply? From the school?"

"Yes!" Téa shrieked. "I'm in Joe, I got in!"

Joey jumped up in excitement. "Oh, Hell yes!" he bellowed. "I knew you could do it! Didn't I tell ya?"

"Joey, I'm so excited!" She adopted a smooth tone and read out, "'London City School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance'! I'm going to London, can you even believe it?"

"Wow," Joey held a hand to his forehead. "Téa I'm so happy for you. Good job."

"Thanks, Joey! Why don't we meet after work and we can talk about it?"

"Oh, shit, work!" Joey grabbed his shirt. "Gotta go, T, I'll catch up with you later."

"Have a good day, Joe."

She hung up. Joey tossed the phone back and forth in his hand for a moment, digesting the good news. Téa was finally getting her dream. For the longest time she had longed more than anything to jet off to another country and study dance there.

London. That was a long jet away. A whole ocean. A whole lot of land. Joey barely had time to ruminate on this thought before the phone rang again and this time it actually was his boss demanding to know where he was.

* * *

That evening, after being made to stay to clean the diner for an extra hour to make up for his lost minutes that morning, Joey shouldered his bag and left out the back to find Téa waiting against his bike. The moment she saw him, she pulled him into a delighted hug that very nearly snapped his spine.

"Woah, hey there, sister, don't stand too close, I'm pretty sure I stink." Joey hoisted her off the ground and spun her about. She slapped his arm good-naturedly to put her down. "Back to mine for a bit?"

Téa caught the spare helmet Joey chucked to her. "Sure, then let's go eat?"

"Yeah, so long as it ain't here."

"I can't stop thinking about it, Joe!" she bellowed through the helmet as they sped down the streets of Domino. The bike had once belonged to their friend Tristan and was noisy as it was smelly, but Joey had fallen in love with it, and like anything to do with Joey, Téa had grown used to it. "My parents are completely sick of hearing about it!"

Joey laughed but said nothing. All throughout the day, serving trays of burgers and snapping plastic lids onto cups of cola, he could hear the word 'London' in almost everything. He had brought the city up in conversation with customers. He asked if it was a safe place at night, what the time difference was from Domino, how much were flights out? Most people knew very little about it and just wanted to eat, but some kept up polite conversation. They assured him it was a nice enough place if you knew it. Definitely worth a visit.

At some point in the day he had experienced an unnerving flashback. Great dunes of sand; a group of people stood before an Ancient Egyptian altar, and a duel between soul-brothers that had led to the loss of their closest friend. Letting Atem go had been hard on them all.

And then again six months before, Yugi had left with his acclaimed title of King of Games to be the face of duelling around the word. To inspire and coach countless young people with dreams of their own. Even two years on from the last big tournament in Domino, duelling was still considered a major sport. Yugi was on television often. The remaining members of the old gang missed the both of them greatly.

Joey let Téa into his apartment and tossed the keys onto the kitchen counter. The place was too small for a table. It was one room; the kitchen and living-room combined, with a small bedroom housing a double bed that took up most of the floor. Joey changed whilst Téa poured herself some tea and turned on the television.

From the bedroom, Joey heard her flicking through channels until she rested, of course, on the Game channel. There was a special about the legendary God Cards that had disappeared some two years ago. Yugi was not being featured.

Joey said nothing about Yugi or the Pharaoh Atem to Téa. Their names rarely came up in conversation anymore.

Joey pulled a shirt over his head and took a moment to swipe the dust off an old photograph. It had been taken just before the Battle City tournament outside Yugi's grandfather's Game shop and now rested on his small chest of drawers. Joey stood near the back with his arm around his buddy Tristan on one side, and Téa on the other. Tristan looked rather uncomfortable with most of Joey's weight on him. With a flirty wink at the camera was Mai Valentine on Téa's other side, and smiling between them stood little Yugi, clutching the artefact that had once contained his dear friend: the spirit of the Pharaoh Atem. The King who finished the Shadow Games.

Joey set the photo down once more. That must have been at least three years ago. A lot can change in such a short space of time.

"You ready to go?" Joey said as he left the bedroom. Téa motioned for him to wait whilst she finished her tea. Joey perched on the edge of the sofa and watched the program for a while. The three God cards, the most powerful and dangerous cards in the game of Duel Monsters, flashed up on the screen.

"Jeez, that seems like forever ago, right?" he said. "I wonder if they'll ever find out what happened to them. The real ones I mean."

"Hardly," scoffed Téa. "I hope they don't anyway. That would be bad."

"I guess so. But ain't it weird knowing we're the only ones who'll ever know where they really are?" Joey said. He turned back to the TV. "Didn't Kaiba have a real thing for them?"

"Kaiba? I haven't thought about him in months."

"How is that even possible?" Joey was incredulous. "The guy's everywhere! We passed a billboard with his face all over it as we were coming here!"

"I didn't notice, Joey, I'm a little distracted right now."

"Oh, right. London."

"Right. London." Téa grinned and wiggled her feet. "Oh, Joey, isn't it just the most exciting thing!"

Joey rubbed his stubble and said nothing. Téa finished her tea in the quiet.

* * *

Téa had decided to give Tristan a call too to let him know the exciting news. He pulled up in his brand new bike with a passenger behind him. When he saw Joey, he crushed him in a mighty bear hug after giving Téa her customary congratulations and a kiss on the cheek. Serenity tugged off the helmet and hugged her brother much more gently. Joey's sister was spending an awful lot of time with Tristan lately and Joey wasn't too sure if he approved.

"You're riding with me, little sis," he said with a very pointed look at Tristan. Serenity made to protest but decided a fight was better avoided. She shrugged and climbed onto the back of the bike behind her brother. Before she pulled the helmet on, she said,

"You can't stop me from dating him, you know."

Joey watched Téa clamber up behind Tristan on his new bike and shuddered.

"You could do way better than him, Serenity," Joey began but Serenity smacked his arm.

"He's your best friend, Joey, you can't say things like that!" She slotted the helmet over her head and tucked her hair inside. "Try to just be happy for me, alright?"

Joey revved up the bike. The roar made Serenity jump and she grabbed her brother's back. He rocketed out of the driveway and down the road, leaving Tristan trailing in his wake.

They decided, since they were celebrating Téa's success, to make the dinner a proper affair. They headed to, as Joey put it, 'a real restaurant' and sat in a quiet corner with glasses full of wine and starter plates. Joey could very rarely afford anything this fancy, but he was making an exception for Téa's sake. She chatted happily through dinner about London: her plans; what extensive reading she had been doing on the culture of the country. It all sounded so glamorous she said. She couldn't wait to leave.

Somewhere after the third or fourth glass of wine, they all began to get rather loud. Téa's excited babbling did not cease, and Serenity and Tristan began telling bad jokes. Joey stirred his rich chocolate cake around its plate, no longer interested in eating. Serenity and Tristan were now very close. Téa's eyes had drifted to the ceiling, beyond which was the vast, darkening sky which in a few short months would take her away indefinitely.

Joey shot to his feet, almost upsetting his nearly-empty glass.

"I need some air," he slurred gruffly.

Outside he leaned against the brick wall of the restaurant and lit up. He hoped none of the others would follow, as a no-smoking lecture was not something he felt he needed. With the cool summer night air on his face, his head began to clear a little. He took a long, uninterrupted drag and attempted to soothe his nerves.

A low level of cloud and smog hung over, obscuring the stars. Joey blew a thin plume of smoke at it that trailed away silently into the air. He was calm again, but nothing had changed. Téa was still going away. He was to lose a third friend. He didn't understand. Why couldn't he just be happy for her? She deserved this, to get her dream. She worked hard for it.

Across the street was a huge billboard. Joey had a perfect view from his spot in the ginnel next to the restaurant. Peeling paper plastered wall-to-wall without pause. A new product from Kaiba Corporation: a new advanced duelling system, similar in design to the ones they wore in the old photograph from their Battle City days. The new ones appeared slimmer, with better fit and a chrome finish. Joey had been awarded a free prototype testing at a showing a short time ago, being runner up in several tournaments. It had been much more comfortable on his arm than previous instalments and he had been reluctant to return it. Kaiba Corp still remained number one in Duel Monsters technology.

Joey's ruminating was interrupted by the sound of someone joining him from the restaurant. It was Téa. Joey hastily tossed the lit cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot.

"Hey, Joe. You okay out here?" Téa came to stand by him, tugging her coat around her against the cool night air.

"Yeah, no worries. Just thinking." Joey scratched the back of his head. "About these new Duel Disks Kaiba's shunting out."

"They look pretty swanky, huh?" Téa said. "Look, Joe, I think you and I need to talk about something."

"We do?"

Téa nodded and folded her arms. She braced herself on the ground with her legs apart and Joey felt the impending lecture incoming. _Might as well have finished the cigarette,_ he thought.

"Joe, I think you need to lay off Tristan and Serenity."

"What?" Joey was caught by surprise. "What about them?"

"You need to grow up a bit, Joe," Téa continued. "That's why you left when we were eating, right? They're gonna be together and there's nothing you, or anyone, can do about it, okay? You have to let them make their own choices. I know you looked after your sister for so long but she's an adult now, Joey, not a little kid anymore."

Joey frowned and chewed on his bottom lip. What Téa said made sense but it wasn't that that was bothering him so much that evening. He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair, leaning back against the wall.

"I know," he said, "I get that."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I mean, Tristan's a moron but at the end of the day I'd trust the guy with my life." Joey's eyes fell on the billboard with that beautiful chrome design. "I know he'd take care of her. That's not the problem."

"Then what is?"

Joey paused, hesitant to bring it up. No good could come of talking about it, yet here was Téa, one hand on hip, demanding answers. Maybe now was a good a time as any.

"Just… everything's moving too fast, you know? Like," he paused again; took a breath. "Like when Yugi left for those tournaments, or when the Pharaoh left all that time ago. It's all suddenly changing so fast and now you're leaving too."

"I thought you were okay with that." Téa spoke quietly. She refused to meet Joey's eye, staring at the concrete instead. "You definitely seemed okay at the time."

"I was, T, I was happy for you, but now things are moving so fast and-"

"I thought I should have keep quiet! I felt like such an idiot!" Téa hiccoughed into her hand. Joey was perplexed. "Especially after your speech about how everything he taught us would be with us forever! I thought how stupid I was for being the weak one and missing him!"

It finally dawned on Joey why Téa was so upset. He recalled her blurting out as their friend slipped silently into the light. His last look back as she shouted about how unfair it all was: to lose such a friend so fast. Joey felt as though he had been punched in the gut. He flushed with guilt.

"No, you said exactly what we were all thinking!" He took her shoulders in his hands and she tried to pull away, hiding her face. "I'm sorry, T, you're right, you were right, it ain't fair to lose a… to go through that. And I'm just gonna miss you, that's all. I'm gonna really miss you."

Téa wiped her eyes on her sleeves and finally looked up. Joey grinned at her blotchy red face. "Okay?" he said. She laughed at him.

"I'm not going to be gone forever, Joe," she said. "You made me think a lot after you said… what you said. It's always stayed with me and it's going to give me the strength to move on. I just wish that I could find the words to do the same for you this time."

"Nah, T," said Joey, pulling her into a tight hug. "you say just the right shit every day. Besides," he added, pushing her back and grinning again. "You know me, I'm set in my ways. Ain't nothing here that'll make me change."

Just then a long, white limousine cruised past the restaurant. It passed the enormous billboard. It came towards Joey and Téa embracing in the alleyway. For a brief moment it almost moved in slow-motion. A hundred city lights shimmered across the tinted windows and shivered over the polished white paint. Joey's gut stirred with a twist of recognition as his eyes fell on the figure rendered beautifully in metal: a custom-designed Blue-Eyes White Dragon, on the hood.

And for just a tiny moment Joey got the impression he was being watched.

(Credits:

Alt. chapter title is a line from 2am by Thee More Shallows)

* * *

I've been sitting on this story for four years, at least.

Four years is a long time to have a story inside you. It's been written, rewritten, uploaded, torn down, and re-uploaded.

But now I think I'm finally ready to share it for real.

If you are interested in sending me a beta/proof reading of this chapter or requesting to proofread any other chapter in the future (or the story as a whole) please let me know. I'd be very happy to hear your thoughts!

Reviews are appreciated. Favourite and follow to keep updated.


	2. Chapter 2: The Old Dog and the Underdog

Chapter 2 – I'm An Old Dog but I've Learned Some New Tricks

The next day Joey felt restless. He poured his energy into working; scrubbing tables with extensive vigour and barely talking at all. He was aware of people around him but his mind was so elsewhere that he may as well have been in a glass box. Thoughts of London and the uncertain future pecked at him like starving birds all day. And for some reason, that glimmering, sleek limousine kept sliding slowly through his mind.

After work that night he decided to take a detour. He took a familiar road to a small shop standing alone on the corner of the street. It was squat and tidy, and read simply 'GAME' in large, colourful letters over the entrance. By day the place would be swarming with Duellists and game enthusiasts. As of this moment it was closed, and the only lights came from upstairs in the flat above the shop.

Joey parked his bike out the back and climbed the rusting metal stairs behind the building. They were rickety and dodgy, but clean enough. At the top was a simple door and a bell, which he rang, and was delighted it still played out a dorky theme tune from an old console game.

A bustling silhouette appeared in the engraved glass on the other side of the door. It opened promptly to reveal a stout little old man with a bushy grey beard and thick, round glasses. He peered up at Joey and appeared rather befuddled for a few moments before cracking into an impish grin that made him look several decades younger.

"Joey Wheeler!" he cried. "How are you, my young friend?"

"Not too bad, Gramps. Yourself?"

"Can't complain," he said. "Come in. Come in. I'm about to have some tea."

Joey followed Yugi's grandfather into the apartment. The inside was stout and simple, much like its occupant with short, fat corridors adorned sparsely with potted plants. It was clear that Solomon Mutou poured all of his enthusiasm into the beautiful and vibrant game shop downstairs.

"Sit down, Joey," Solomon said as he disappeared into the kitchen. Joey took a seat at the old table. There were scuff marks on the surface of the wood and little engravings carved with the blunt end of knives and forks. Yugi's and his friends' names with little depictions of Duel Monsters had lasted the years. Joey traced a scrawling of the Red Eyes Black Dragon as Solomon poured himself and Joey cups of tea and took a seat opposite.

"So how's my young protégée, hm?" he began to shuffle a set of Duel Monsters cards in his hands. "Still practising, I hope?"

"Ah, Gramps I didn't really come for-"

"Nonsense, Joey," Grandpa said. He passed the deck over for Joey to cut. "You wouldn't deny an old man the delight of a round of his favourite game, would you!"

"Uh. Of course not." Joey reached into his coat pocket. He kept his deck on him at all times but it had been a long while since he had played at Duel Monsters. "You taught me everything I know, though so don't think I won't see through your tricks. You're going down, old man."

"We'll see about that!"

As it turned out the lack of practice Joey had been putting in really showed when playing against a seasoned veteran like Solomon Motou. As far as Joey could recall, the only person Solomon had ever lost to had been game guru Seto Kaiba.

"You're out of practice, Joey!" Solomon said a while later, gathering his cards together. Joey had lost horribly. He reclaimed his monster cards from his graveyard and tucked the deck away again, wondering when it would even next be used. "You must work harder. Yugi works very hard, and look at him! Duelling in championships all over the world. Fantastic!"

It was hard to blame Solomon for boasting so much of his grandson. He had every reason to be exceedingly proud: Yugi was a national success.

"You've got some great cards, Joey, but you forget how to properly use them," said Grandpa, finishing his tea. "Not only that, but your deck is very outdated. I understand your need to hold onto the cards that have sentimental value to you but in order to keep up with the changing times you really must get some new ones."

"Yeah." Joey didn't have the heart to tell Yugi's Grandfather that he no longer put much effort into duelling. Not that it wasn't obvious from his spectacular defeat. "I just can't really afford much these days."

Solomon peered at Joey through his thick glasses. Joey, feeling uncomfortable between that and his half-truth, squirmed in his seat and refused to meet the old man's eye.

"Come with me," said Solomon eventually.

They left the table and headed down a flight of stairs lit with an old flickering bulb. At the bottom was a simple door surrounded by large cardboard boxes with printed logos that took up most of the space in the tiny corridor. Solomon unlocked the door and held it open for Joey to step through before switching on the lights.

It was just as Joey had remembered. Wall-to-wall stood shelf upon shelf of games: games for outdated consoles; games for consoles that had been released that month; boxes of board games and, of course, an entire wall dedicated to all things Duel Monsters. The brand new Duel Disk System Satellite sat shimmering inside a display case in all its chrome glory.

"This is where we first met. Where I first started training you," Grandpa said, leaning on the counter in his usual place.

"Yeah," said Joey, tearing his eyes away from the displays. "You worked me pretty hard. But I learned a lot. It was thanks to you and Yugi that I was able to go all the way to the finals."

"I have to admit I was very impressed by your prowess."

There was a moment of silence. Joey cleared his throat.

"So, er, where are you going with all this, Gramps?"

"Oh, right!" Grandpa exclaimed. "I almost forgot. Here. Come look at this."

He reached under the counter and retrieved a small wooden box. Joey recognised it as the case that had once held Solomon's most prized possession: his rare Blue-Eyes White Dragon card. The box was a little bashed up and had a thin layer of dust that Solomon rubbed off with his sleeve. He placed it on the counter between them and slid off the lid.

Inside was another card. One that Joey knew well.

"The Dark Magician?" he said. "But ain't that Yugi's card?"

"It is," said Grandpa fondly. He flipped the box so that the depiction was upright for him. "Yugi gave it to me right before he left. He didn't say much about it when he gave it to me. Just asked me to keep it safe."

Joey was awed. "Damn, Gramps, this is his favourite card."

"I know that!" Grandpa snapped the lid shut. "Yugi has really grown up a lot since he finally let go of that old puzzle box and I thought maybe we were drifting apart." He patted the top of the wooden card case. "I guess it was all in my mind after all.

"My point is, Joey, that sometimes you have to learn to let go of the things that are in your past and figure out how to move on. I miss my old Blue-Eyes but there's no point being upset about it forever."

He stashed the box away and climbed out from behind the counter with another container in his hands. This one was made of plastic and looked brand new.

"I want you to have this."

Joey took the box from Grandpa's hands and opened it. Inside was a brand new deck and Duel Monsters instruction sheets, as well as a portable board and collector's items.

"Wow, Gramps, thanks, but I can't pay for this," Joey said, closing the lid.

"No need," said Grandpa winking. "Think of it as a gift for listening to an old man ramble."

Solomon waved Joey off on his bike after closing the shop back up, shaking his hand firmly and ordering him to work harder. Joey left the shop heavy with his thoughts, the box of new cards attached firmly to the back of his bike. He took them back to the house and stashed them under his bed before tumbling into it and falling asleep.

A week passed uneventfully and Joey was kept busy with work. He had bills to pay and his apartment was slowly falling apart despite multiple calls to the landlord. The box of cards under his bed remained untouched.

One afternoon he was lying on his bed, browsing through his phone when it began to ring in his hand. He quite jumped and pressed the phone tentatively to his ear, heart pounding, praying it wasn't about to be work calling him in on his day off.

"Hello?"

"Joey? It's me."

"Yugi!" As Joey sat bolt upright, he felt a big grin on his face. "Hey, buddy, how're ya doing?"

"Fine, thanks, Joey. I just finished a big tournament in the States. It was quite a competition."

"Yeah, I saw on TV." It had been the only thing Joey had made time for all week. Watching Yugi duel would always been one of Joey's most favourite things. There was such sureness in the way he played each card. He had every faith in his deck and his confidence was electric. It charged the crowds until the whole room was pulsing. "Good job, pal."

"Thanks, Joey," said Yugi, and Joey could hear the smile in his voice. "Listen, I heard you went over to Grandpa's place the other day. He said it was really good to see you."

"Oh, yeah, man, no sweat," said Joey almost guiltily, thinking of the untouched box beneath the bed and his promise. "I just felt like going round, you know? The old man's a laugh."

"Well, I really appreciate it, Joe. I worry that he gets lonely there on his own sometimes." Yugi paused and then laughed. "I heard he beat you pretty hard at Duel Monsters too!"

"Hey, it was a fluke," Joey said good-naturedly. "Next time I'll beat him for sure!"

"Yeah. Good luck. He's been playing much longer than even me," Yugi laughed again. "Oh, you'll never guess who I saw here at the competition, too."

"Who?"

"Seto Kaiba!"

Joey paused halfway through pouring himself a bowl of cereal. Then he shrugged.

"That old moneybags? What was here there for?"

"Promoting the new Satellite Duel Disk System as far as I could tell," said Yugi as Joey plonked himself down on the sofa with his bowl. "They did a whole bunch of features on it and got all the finalists to use it in their duels."

"How come I didn't see you with it, Yug?" Joey said, his mouth full. "I thought I caught all the specials."

"Oh, I tried it," said Yugi. "But it wasn't a requirement for the duel and I was just more comfortable using the older model. Besides, there's something special about the original fields, and my opponent thought the same. So we duelled without it."

The Duel Disks provided a portable means of holographic projection in a duel. The old arenas were barely in use anymore since it was senseless to install an entire duelling field when the players could just use the device on their arm to project their monsters. The Duel Disks were leading in Duel Monsters technology. Despite their being holograms, you could feel the very breath of the beasts on your neck.

The old duel arenas were reduced to classics. Still used, but rarely. What Yugi did during his final duel had been unusual. Everyone knew the disks were the way forward.

"Yeah," said Joey, thinking back to the final duel. "That last girl was pretty good. She nearly had you with that trap card."

"Nearly. Luckily I managed to find a way around it, but it was close! Actually, Kaiba congratulated me on the victory afterwards, but I think something was wrong." Yugi paused. "Actually, he seemed upset."

"Probably pissed that he won't get another stab at duelling you for King of Games again," said Joey. "Either that or you screwed over his swanky new Duel Disk by choosing the arena over it."

"Do you think so?" Yugi sounded worried. "I didn't mean to cause him any problems."

"Hey, who cares what problems that uptight asshole has?" Joey scoffed. "He's got it made. It shouldn't matter that he lost a smidge of publicity. The arenas you duelled in were Kaiba tech anyway."

"I suppose so." Yugi still sounded worried so Joey changed the subject.

"So you hear about Téa?"

"About the dance school?" Yugi brightened immediately. "Isn't it great? It's just what she wanted."

"Yeah, but it's gonna be tough without her," said Joey, lounging on the sofa. "Since you left we got pretty close, you know?"

"You did?"

"Yeah, but not like that. Hey, pal!" Joey sat up again and in his haste he leant on the remote. The television switched on. "Not like that. She's like my sister."

"Oh, Joey, does it even matter?" sighed Yugi. "I'm too far away, anyway."

"Yug, she-" Joey was suddenly distracted by a news report. The familiar graphic of the new Duel Disk Satellite flashed up on the screen, accompanied by commentary from the anchor.

"Reports have shown that the new Duel Disk Satellite, created by popular gaming company Kaiba Corporation, has been criticised for not catering to current duellist needs. The system itself is due to be retracted from shelves and instead-"

"It's alright, Joe, you don't have to try and make me feel better. Maybe it's just easier this way." Yugi was very quiet and Joey tried to tear his attention away from an interview with Seto Kaiba on the screen in order to listen. "She's there and I'm here. I can't come back now, it's just too painful."

"Painful?" Joey said, half his attention on the television.

"The Satellite is a perfectly competent system and we at Kaiba Corp believe the public is ready for this change in duelling technology," Kaiba was saying into a microphone outside his company building. Cameras flashed into his glinting blue eyes. "This is nonsense to take it off the shelves. Yugi Motou is a professional duellist and we at Kaiba Corporation respect his decision to use any system he feels most comfortable with-"

"Yeah," Yugi continued. "I mean my life was there but now without the Pharaoh…" he trailed off. "It's just not the same being in Domino without him."

"Sir, what are your plans for the Duel Disk Satellite now that it has been criticised worldwide?" one reporter blurted out.

"I have no further plans to change the design of the system," Kaiba grunted. "It is perfectly adequate the way it is. We will always be looking for new ways to advance our gaming technology. The Duel Disk Satellite is a past project now. Our next system will be even more-"

"Joey, what are you watching?" Yugi asked.

Joey shook himself. "Nothing, Yug, just the news." He muted the television just as it cut away from Kaiba and the Duel Disk Satellite. Now a story of a town in the south painting their streets in celebration of a national holiday was being featured. "Sorry, pal, what were you saying?"

"About Téa. I was just saying that I miss her. I want to see her."

"Oh, right. Why not give her a call?" Joey switched off the television and cleared up his bowl. "Bet she'd like to talk to you too."

"No, Joey, I mean…" Yugi became very quiet. Joey listened but he said nothing more about it. "Oh, I should go, Joey, this call is very expensive."

"Oh, right. Yeah, no problem, pal. I'll call you next time, alright?"

"Bye, Joey!"

Yugi hung up. Joey put the phone down feeling rather unsatisfied. Yugi was usually more talkative. Hearing him clam up was unnerving.

It was true that Joey and Téa had become much closer in the resulting months after Yugi's departure for the first tournament. It had never been more than friendship. There was no question about it. Thinking of it any other way put Joey off so much that he had to shake himself and go switch on the gaming console as a distraction.

Tossing the controller between his palms as the game loaded, he thought back to the news report on Kaiba Corporation. It was true that there was nothing wrong with the Duel Disk Satellite, as it had been in perfect working condition and rather an improvement on the previous system. Joey hoped that Yugi wouldn't get wind of the problems Kaiba was facing. It would upset him to think that he had caused Kaiba trouble in any way. Joey rather hoped Kaiba was in a lot of trouble. _Serves him right, _he thought. He had never liked Kaiba.

Despite all of this, Joey couldn't help feeling guilty on Yugi's behalf.

* * *

(Credits:

Alt chapter title is a line from _Two Fingers_ by Jake Bugg)

Update: Have amended the wording of this chapter slightly after some reviews. Content is the same.

Don't forget to fave and follow to keep updated! Reviews are very much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3: The Invitation

Chapter 3: The Invitation (He Sleeps with his Eyes Open)

Domino was in that tender stage of day where the daylight is just beginning to fracture and the evening is approaching with a gentle platoon of pink across the sky. The sun was setting beyond the jagged skyline. Everything was cooling down. The buildings glowed with a warm pinkish-red like a ripe berry. Below on the ground, Joey was being physically frog-marched from Kaiba Corporation headquarters with a crisp envelope clutched in one hand.

The security dumped him outside the glass doors and turned back without a word. Mortified, Joey crammed his hands into his pockets and kicked a can down the pavement. His workbag beat against his leg as he walked, and the envelope was getting badly creased in his hand. He ignored it.

Work had been stressful that day and had wound him up to the point where, when it had finally let out, he felt he needed a walk. So, leaving his bike alone in the parking lot, he had stomped out of the diner and headed into the city. Without directing them, his feet had led him through the traffic to the highest building on the skyline. Fine glass doors revealed his own reflection: scruffy and red-faced with the exertion of walking in the summer sunshine, work bag at his hip and uniform slightly skew-whiff. He did not look like he belonged here with these executive buildings and expensive bars where they could charge him three month's salary for a bottle of red wine.

Joey squared his shoulders and marched purposefully through the glass doors. No-one stopped him. More tentatively, he crossed the foyer where he was ignored by the receptionist and the security standing by the door to the stairs, as well. Whistling out of tune, he called for an elevator.

When it opened, a blue-collar worker trundled out pushing a cart with piles of plates and plastic cups wrapped in cellophane. Joey nodded to him once and slipped inside the elevator. The man with the cart did not so much as look back as the doors dinged closed and Joey began the long rise to the topmost floor.

Joey had not thought of himself as particularly lucky that he had managed to slip into Kaiba's building without being so much as glanced at. Rather he thought that these people were too caught up in their own business to stop him. Moreover, though Joey wasn't to know this, they simply mistook him for some sort of unkempt delivery person.

The elevators doors slid open. This top floor was brightly lit, with the length of the wall being made up of floor-to-ceiling windows. It was very quiet. At the end of the hall was a desk behind which sat an assistant, and beyond him still, a tall wooden door.

Unlike the others down in the foyer, this employee gave Joey a double-take when he stepped up to the desk.

"Hi," said Joey. "I have an appointment?"

He hadn't one, of course. This just seemed like the most logical thing to say. The receptionist scowled, his blue eyes rather piercing beneath dark eyebrows.

"I'll just let Mr. Kaiba know you're here then, shall I?" he said cuttingly, reaching for the phone. Joey gestured for him to do so, now beginning to wonder why on earth he had come at all. "And who may I tell him is here?"

"Wheeler," said Joey. "He'll know who I am."

"Right," the receptionist eyed Joey one last time before taking up the receiver. "Mr. Kaiba, there's a Mr. Wheeler out here to see you."

There was a long pause. Then,

"Mr. Kaiba says for you to go on in."

"Thanks." Joey stepped past the desk and headed through the wooden door that the receptionist held open for him.

Before Joey stretched a length of immaculate, light-coloured carpet flanked on either side by jade-green rubber tree plants. On one side stood a collection of leather sofas. At the far side of the room opposite the door was a desk that stood before a huge arching window that overlooked the city. The room was flooded with light from this window and it made Joey squint. Silhouetted against the glare, standing straight and stiff as a pole, was the sharp outline of Seto Kaiba.

As his eyes adjusted, Joey could make out more detail. Kaiba's hard eyes were fixed on Joey, his mouth twisted into a curt line of dislike. One hand lay splayed out as if to steady himself on the back of his chair. His hair was groomed for the most part, bar one section at the front that stood raised slightly, as if he had spent much of his time running a hand through it. The papers on his desk were scattered and their corners flickered as though they were being blown. The coat on the back of his chair also shifted as if in a light breeze. Behind him, Joey saw, the window was open.

Kaiba had always been pale, but now he was quite ghostly. His eyes were sunken and his jaw was set so hard he looked as though he were trying to swallow a very large pill.

"Thank you, Morien." Kaiba addressed the space somewhere over Joey's left shoulder and he took his eyes off Kaiba for a split second to watch the door close.

"Wheeler." Kaiba addressed him directly. "To what do I owe the impeccable honour of your visit?"

Joey tried to gather his thoughts. In the silence, Kaiba did not move one inch. He held himself as frozen as if the air about him was made of ice.

"Alright. That question seems to be too difficult for you." Kaiba still hadn't moved. "How about: how did you get up here?"

"I dunno," said Joey. "I just came up here. No-one stopped me or anything, I just came up." He took the liberty of sauntering into the room and taking a look around. The furniture was as quiet and unmoving as the room's occupant. "Hey, moneybags, chill out. It's only me."

Kaiba just scowled. "I really don't like that you managed to get up here uninterrupted. Actually, I just don't like you. Someone is going to be in a lot of trouble for letting you get in."

"Sure," said Joey, "but," he made his way over to the desk and took a seat in a comfortable leather chair opposite the desk, "you let me in here, right?"

Kaiba's scowl intensified. Joey saw his eyes flick for a moment to the desk. "Yes," he said. "I did."

"Perfect," said Joey. "I wanted to see you and you want to see me."

"I most certainly did not want to see you." Kaiba sat slowly in his chair. He tilted it away from the desk and laced his fingers. Joey watched him do this, and then, when he was sure he had Kaiba's full attention again, deliberately lifted his legs and rested them on the desk. Kaiba's expression twisted into that of extreme distaste. "And I can't imagine why you would think for any reason that barging into my building unannounced to see me was a good idea."

"Just wanted to talk, moneybags." Joey shrugged. "It's been a long time. Thought maybe you'd have grown out of the insufferable asshole phase."

Kaiba moved his jaw around slowly for some ten seconds, eyes closed. Joey wondered if he was trying to forcibly remove some of his teeth with his tongue.

"What are you doing here, Wheeler?" he said eventually. "I am busy."

Joey shrugged again, sinking lower in the chair. He searched for a subject. "Heard you were having some trouble with your new Duel Disk thing and just came to see if you were alright?"

Kaiba blanched. It was clear from the look on his face that this was not a subject he had been anticipating, nor one he wanted to discuss.

"I am fine," said Kaiba. "I appreciate the concern."

"No problem." Joey fiddled with a strap on his bag. "So why _did_ you want to see me?"

"I have something for you."

Joey sat up. Kaiba reached into a drawer in his desk and retrieved a stack of envelopes. He flicked through the pile until about halfway and tugged one out. He placed it in the centre of the desk for Joey to take.

It was a simple white envelope with the Kaiba Corporation logo and Joey's name and address.

"A letter?"

"An invite," corrected Kaiba. He seemed to have trouble getting the next words out. "I am having a function that I want you to attend."

"A function. Like a party?" said Joey, flipping the envelope over.

"Yes, genius," Kaiba snapped. "Like a party."

"What kind of party?"

"Open the invite and find out," Kaiba said. He shoved the envelopes back into the drawer and snapped it shut. "On your own time, Wheeler," he added as Joey had curiously begun to pick at the corners of the paper. "I am busy, and now I need you to get out."

"Come on, not yet," Joey said, stretching. "We always have so much to talk about."

"Don't make this bad for yourself." Kaiba reached calmly across the desk and whipped a file from under Joey's crossed trainers. He levered it in such a way that it upset Joey's feet onto the floor and he almost fell out of the chair. "I'm not in the mood for this. Go away."

Underneath the file that Kaiba had reclaimed lay a serious-looking letter in uniform type. Joey peered at it as he righted himself. He only managed to catch a glance before it too was ripped out of sight, almost slicing his nose off. Joey had only seen a few words, but he understood the contents of the letter well enough.

"So they don't like the new duel disk at all, huh?" Joey whistled once, quietly. "It's pretty big. I saw it on the news. Why has this happened?"

Kaiba sniffed, carefully slotting the letter concerning the decommissioning of the Satellite back into an envelope and stowing it out of sight.

"It's none of your concern, Wheeler," said Kaiba, turning away.

"No, but I thought I could help or something," Joey said, heating up. "I modelled the thing, maybe we could do something, improve it or-"

"It's none of your concern, mutt!" Kaiba barked. He slammed the laptop shut and stood again, his eyes flashing dangerously. Joey followed suit, squaring his shoulders for a punch-up. "You don't know anything about this. The system is a refurbished model and works perfectly well, better than I could have anticipated! Don't tell me what to do with my own company. You don't know anything."

"I know enough about normal people to know what they want from stuff," said Joey, his frustration making him almost incoherent. "I know that you look exhausted, and I know that I was just looking to help out a friend."

"You are interfering and insufferable," Kaiba snapped. "Get out of my office."

"What are you going to do, moneybags?" Joey crossed his arms and dumped himself back into the chair. "Call security on me?"

And this was how Joey found himself tossed out onto the street a few minutes later like a sack of garbage, clutching the enveloped and feeling furious. He stomped back to where his bike was parked and took out his anger for a few moments on the can in the parking lot. It was pretty flat by the time he had finished.

Still feeling unappreciated but a little calmer, he clambered on to his bike and sat for a moment to think. Perhaps he had been a little rude: nonchalantly infiltrating Kaiba's building and turning up to his office unannounced to hassle him. It was not an excuse for the way he had been treated but Joey began to think maybe he had been a little out of order. Made irritable by this, he shoved his hands into his pockets to sulk, and once again came into contact with the invite to Kaiba's 'function'.

He tugged it out. It was crumpled now, and the edge had torn. He ripped gently along the top and took out the slip of paper inside. It was a typed invitation to a private do hosted by Kaiba in a hotel in town, all in celebration and promotion of the Duel Disk Satellite. Underneath the signing off was Kaiba's signature: a slanted scribble in ball-point pen. Below that was a handwritten post-script by someone with messy penmanship,

"_Hope to see you there! M Kaiba."_

Seto Kaiba's younger brother Mokuba was most likely co-hosting the event. Joey remembered him as bright for his age, and like his brother, with a mind for technology and business. As far as Joey could recall, Mokuba was a little friendlier than his hardened sibling.

Joey folded the letter away and put it back into his pocket. A few months ago he would not even have considered attending the event. He was sincere in his dislike for Kaiba, and yet…

Joey thought of Kaiba's strained face, his pale hands clutching the back of the chair as though without it he may topple over.

He could not help feeling that Kaiba, despite his disagreeable treatment of Joey, was in need of some support.

* * *

Thanks to all who have reviewed so far. Your comments are greatly appreciated and I have amended the story to the suggestions I thought applicable!

(Credit:

Alt chapter title is a line from _I'll Drown_ by soley.)

Don't forget to follow if you want to read more! And I would like to encourage you to leave a review, I appreciate the feedback!

If you are interested in beta-reading this story, please PM me.


	4. Chapter 4: Bad Weather

Chapter 4: You Bring Me Ruin When I Ask for Water

Joey told his friends of his adventure into Kaiba Corporation a few days later. They sat outside, in the relative shade of the awning of a small café in town. The Kaiba Corporation building was within sight and they all gazed in awe at it for the duration of Joey's story. When he was done they all agreed it was an impressive feat.

The day was hot and the sun was glinting off the many levels of glass up and down the building. Joey wondered how Kaiba managed to keep cool so many stories up with a huge window at his back. The four of them sat sweltering in the afternoon heat as it was. Téa fanned herself with a menu as she spoke,

"I can't believe you, Joey," she said. "Breaking into Kaiba Corp like that."

"I didn't break in," said Joey. "I just paid a visit unannounced."

"Sounds like breaking in to me," Tristan grunted, swigging his cold drink. Condensation dripped onto the table. Or was it sweat? "Surprised Kaiba even let you in to see him. Thought the guy hated our guts."

Tristan and Serenity had been holding hands and sitting 'too close' as Joey had put it when they first arrived. They had sat at the table rather sheepishly, eyes cast downwards. Eventually Tristan worked up the nerve to finally tell Joey and he confirmed their relationship. He was dating Joey's little sister. Joey said nothing, only shrugged, but was suddenly seized with the desire to have a smoke.

Téa had joined them shortly afterwards so Joey had excused himself under the pretense of going to the bathroom, instead sneaking around the side of the café to light up. He had to remind himself not to let that become a habit every time something went wrong.

Sighing, Joey leant back in his chair and felt the crunch of paper in his pocket. He had left the invite in it. Joey also needed to remind himself to wash his jeans and not keep wearing the same pair for days on end.

"He invited me to some party thing," Joey said, fishing the invite out and displaying it on the table. Three heads leaned in for a closer look. "About the new Duel Disk System."

"The new D-D-S is crap, everyone knows that," said Tristan, examining the letter. "Woah, Joey," he said. "This party looks pretty fancy. I'll bet there's a whole bunch of celebrities going to this."

"What will you wear, Joey?" asked Serenity.

"Hey, I haven't even decided if I'm gonna go," said Joey, snatching the letter back. "Just thought it was weird of Kaiba to invite me to a party after everything we said to each other."

"It is weird," said Téa. "But Joey, think about it," she added. "You were a finalist in a few tournaments and he has had you test the system before. Maybe he has to invite all the finalists out of courtesy."

"Hey, maybe Yugi will go!" Tristan blurted out. Joey shot Téa a look that she did not return. She just stared into her drink. "Give him a reason to come back, right?"

"Well, I hope he has enough reason to come back without party invites from Kaiba," said Joey carefully. "But it would be cool to see him."

They paid for the drinks and made to go their separate ways home. As he was about to leave, Téa grabbed Joey's arm. They waited until Tristan and Serenity were out of sight and earshot before speaking.

"Joey," Téa began.

"It's okay, I know what you're gonna say," said Joey.

"You do?"

"Yeah, you wanna know about Yugi going to this thing, right?"

Téa glanced down and bit her lip. "Do you think he will?"

"I'm sure of it," Joey reassured her. "Kaiba will send him an invite just like me. He ain't got a good reason not to."

Just as he said this he was struck with an awful thought. Kaiba actually did have a fairly good reason to dismiss an invitation to Yugi Mutou regarding the celebration of the launch of his new Duel Disk Satellite. He thought back to the television report. To the words Yugi had spoken to him on the phone,

"…_I was just more comfortable using the older model. Besides, there's something special about the original fields, and my opponent thought the same. So we duelled without it."_

Téa was blissfully oblivious to the horrible realisation Joey was undergoing and gave him a grateful hug goodbye before heading off home herself. Joey made to turn his feet homeward but they switched in mid-step and began to lead him up the long, busy road to the Kaiba Corporation building.

He managed to make it into the foyer without being spotted but as he made for the elevator a second time a voice from the desk called out for him to stop. He recognised that voice.

"Joey!" Mokuba shouted. "What are you doing here? And where are you going?"

Joey turned around slowly and forced a grin onto his face. "Oh, hi, Mokuba," he said. "Looking good. You've grown a bit."

Mokuba laughed. His hair was just as long and dark as he had worn it when he was younger but his jaw was stronger than when Joey had last seen it. He was beginning to take on his brother's lanky frame as his baby fat fell away. He still had the same bright eyes and slender nose. "What are you doing here, Joey?" he asked again.

"Well, uh…" Joey hesitated. "I needed to go up." He gestured loosely so Mokuba would get the idea. "You know, to see your brother."

"Well, I'm sorry but I can't allow you to go up there today, Joey," he said. "My brother's busy."

"Isn't he always," said Joey. "Can I get a message to him?"

"Sure, I'll remember it."

"Okay, just tell him I really need to speak to him. That it's pretty important. Please," he added.

"What about?"

"About the party that-"

Mokuba shushed him suddenly and slapped his palms over Joey's mouth. Spooked, Joey flinched backwards but Mokuba was agitated.

"Sorry, Joey, but we aren't supposed to talk about it yet," he hissed. "The details haven't been finalised or anything. Okay," he added, hastily shoving a piece of paper into Joey's hands. "Just write your number or where he can contact you on here and I'll get it to him."

Joey did as he was told and left the building, Mokuba's promises to deliver the messages following in his wake.

* * *

A few days later found Joey closing down the diner out front by himself. It was late in the day and pouring with rain. It pounded incessantly on the windows, splattering in cacophonies on the concrete outside. Despite the rain, the day was still warm and so it was humid. Joey sweated as he worked, dragging a chair out to mop underneath it. However, he was not thinking of the chair or the heat or rain.

It had been a few days since his last visit to Kaiba Corp and there had been no message from Kaiba or Mokuba. Yugi had been in contact, and Joey had casually asked if he had received any interesting mail but Yugi said there was nothing to report. Joey had also asked if Yugi had any plans to return anytime soon.

"It would be nice to come back and see you all," Yugi had said. "But I have another tournament coming up and I need to train here. The school has great facilities. So unless there's anything really important, I'd better stay."

Joey had protested but Yugi also pointed out that he did not have the money to make the trip either. It did not look like he would be back any time soon.

Joey had left both his mobile number and the phone number of the diner with Mokuba in case Kaiba had to phone during working hours. He had heard nothing and was beginning to think he was not going to. He had just resigned himself to this thought, shoving the chair back into place and going to lock the door when a shiny black car pulled up sharply outside.

Joey paused, watching curiously. He knew next to nothing of cars but this one looked important. Its driver climbed out and the rain pattered on the skin of a black umbrella. He was difficult to make out in the thick downpour but Joey had an inkling as to who the owner was. Sure enough, moments later, Kaiba stood looking at him through the splattered glass door.

When Joey opened the door to let him in, Kaiba took down the umbrella and shook the water off over Joey's clean floor.

"Thanks, Kaiba," Joey grunted, gesturing towards the mop and bucket. Kaiba gave it a cursory glance and shook the umbrella harder. "Okay," said Joey, ripping it out of his hands and folding it away. Kaiba looked mortified.

With nothing to hold, he folded his arms. "I was under the impression you wanted to see me," he said, "presumably for more than to manhandle my property."

"Well, yeah," said Joey, "but I wasn't really expecting you in person. Here." He looked around helplessly as if someone would rush to his aid and host for him. "You want a drink or something?"

"Hardly," Kaiba scoffed. "I had a spare few minutes so I am answering your call. Don't make me waste my time."

"Whatever," said Joey. He tossed the umbrella at Kaiba who caught it deftly and refolded it. "I'll make you a coffee," he said, ducking behind the counter to the machine. "It's not that bad here. I've had worse. You probably have it black and bitter, right?"

Kaiba did not move for a moment and Joey thought he might turn about and leave. To Joey's relief he took a seat instead. "No," he said. "Milk and sugar."

Joey became a little nervous when he was pouring the coffee into the cup and had to steady himself with a few breaths before he could continue. His back was to Kaiba and he was sure Kaiba did not notice. Kaiba's presence was solid and intimidating and it was enough to make him feel under pressure.

He pushed the cup towards his guest who eyed it without making a move to touch it. Joey wondered if he had any intention to drink it, and had only accepted to be polite. Just as this new thought entered his head, Joey saw Kaiba pick up the cup with both hands before blowing on it and taking a sip. Joey noted, transfixed, the precise parting of Kaiba's pale lips. With his eyes cast downwards he had long, dark eyelashes. His tongue came first to just barely touch the edge of the cup. The coffee pooled around it, soft and dark and wet. Joey tore his eyes away as Kaiba glanced up.

"It's not the worst I have ever tasted," he admitted.

"Do you like trying different coffees?" said Joey as the thought occurred to him.

Kaiba stared hard at him. "What did you want to discuss?" he asked curtly.

"Oh." Joey leaned back against the countertop that stored the food before it was served to the customers. "I wanted to ask you about who else was coming to your, er, function."

"A number of people," Kaiba said, returning to his coffee. "None of which you will know I'm sure."

"Well, actually, that's what I wanted to ask you," Joey pressed on. "Will Yugi be invited?"

Kaiba froze with the coffee halfway to his mouth.

"I'm not sure I have too much incentive to do so," he said. "Other than his status as King of Games."

"I knew you were bitter about all that shit," Joey snapped. "I knew it. What about him being a friend, huh? What about all that time we were together? Does that mean jack shit to you, moneybags?"

Kaiba looked peeved at being suddenly snapped at. He put down the coffee so hard it sloshed out onto the counter that Joey had just spent a quarter of an hour cleaning. It was hot and splashed onto his hand. He did not seem to notice.

"Don't speak to me like that," Kaiba snarled. He stood up with a swish of his long coat, angrily digging out his umbrella. "What friendship? You dweebs were never my friends and I really don't see how I owe Yugi anything for him doing exactly what he would have done had I been anyone else during those tournaments. And his decision not to use my system is something I will always respect, but in turn he must respect my decisions on how I run my company and do my business. I don't expect you to ever extend the same courtesy because you are about as cultivated as an untamed dog."

"Piss off, Kaiba," Joey bawled. He grabbed the towel he had been using to mop the coffee spill and threw it as hard as he could at Kaiba's retreating back. Kaiba felt it hit his coat. He turned, eyes blazing. With one swift kick, he upset the bucket of dirty water all over the diner floor. Joey swore loudly. The water splashed all over Kaiba's polished, black shoes and seeped into every corner of the floor Joey had been cleaning all night. Now he would be here for at least another half hour.

With one last furious scowl at Joey, Kaiba fled the scene before Joey could even come out from behind the counter. He and his umbrella disappeared into the black car and swerved out of the parking lot. Joey heard it roar down the road until the rain drowned it out.

Joey swore again and slammed the door, which had been steadily pooling rainwater onto the already dirty floor. He grabbed the mop and scrubbed furiously, imagining it was Kaiba's stupid face he was smearing all over the tiles.

* * *

(Credits:

Alt chapter title is a line from _No Weather_ by Brian Fallon)

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to fave & follow to keep updated. Reviews are appreciated, I enjoy hearing your feedback! Take care, loves.


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